Information seminar for research managers and administrators (RMAs)

What is the format about?

Research managers and administrators (RMAs) can play a crucial role in connecting academia with policymakers for a number of reasons that go beyond their traditionally perceived administrative responsibilities:

1) RMAs systematically identify and monitor opportunities for collaboration through national, European, and international funding programmes. Thanks to their detailed knowledge of specific topics and calls and the strategic priorities of funding bodies, they are able to identify projects in which the involvement of public authorities is either essential or highly beneficial. In this way, RMAs help to bridge academic research and the practical needs of public administration at the national and local levels.

2) In recent years, the role of RMAs has become significantly more professionalised and expanded. They are no longer solely project administrators; they increasingly contribute to the design and co-creation of institutional strategies and support new forms of collaboration. This enables them to systematically integrate cooperation with policymakers into the long-term strategies of universities and to promote evidence-informed policymaking as a natural component of the universities’ “third mission”.

3) As part of university administration, RMAs also serve as key contact points. Policymakers often do not know which experts to approach on a specific topic, while individual researchers do not always actively communicate beyond their own academic communities. RMAs, however, have an overview of institutional research capacities across faculties and disciplines, allowing them to effectively mediate between the needs of public institutions and relevant academic experts.

The information seminar on evidence-informed policymaking and its integration into research and educational projects aims to equip RMAs with practical tools and knowledge that will enable them to effectively support collaboration between academia and policymakers.

How does the format work

Training on this topic is best delivered in a group format rather than through individual consultations. Research managers and administrators represent a highly heterogeneous group in terms of expertise, professional experience, and functional roles. A group-based setting therefore creates space for rich discussion, the sharing of diverse perspectives, and the exchange of practical experiences, all of which significantly increase the added value of the seminar compared to an individual format.

The seminar can be delivered at different institutional levels, ranging from individual faculties or universities to the national level through professional platforms and associations of research managers and administrators. The participation of institutional leadership is also highly beneficial, as it helps ensure follow-up conceptual support for the topic (for example, by enabling the establishment of dedicated impact manager positions within project support units). If delivered at the international level, the focus of the seminar should be adapted towards the exchange of experiences and good practices, taking into account differences in public administration systems, institutional frameworks, and policymaking processes across countries.

The information seminar for RMAs should cover the following areas:

1) Key benefits of collaboration between researchers and policy-makers in projects

• Access to data and practice: Public authorities provide data, information, and case studies that are not typically accessible within the academic environment.
• Mutual capacity building: Universities strengthen their ability to communicate with the applied sector, while public institutions gain access to the latest scientific knowledge.
• Strategic and financial advantages: The involvement of non-academic partners is a key requirement in many funding programmes (Horizon Europe, Interreg, ERDF, national programmes).
• Increased societal impact of research: Researchers can directly contribute to policymaking and enhance the relevance of their projects by engaging with major societal challenges such as climate change, public health, urban development, and digital transformation.

2) Mapping project opportunities in current funding programmes

• Regular monitoring of open calls on funding agency portals and matching these calls with the strategic priorities of the university or faculty, as well as with the needs of public administration.
• Building networks of contacts across project support units, institutional leadership, and individual departments or units, and sharing up-to-date information to coordinate researchers’ interest.

3) Specifics of project collaboration with public authorities at the local, regional, national, and European levels

• Institutional structures and complex decision-making processes
• Bureaucracy, legislative frameworks, public procurement rules, and related requirements
• Limited time and human resources
• Political influences and public expectations

4) Targeted science communication

• Developing skills in interpreting scientific results for non-academic audiences, helping to formulate research objectives and outputs in ways that are understandable and relevant to policymakers.
• Framing topics not primarily as research questions but as policy-relevant issues, including who is affected, how the issue relates to decision-making processes, and the broader policymaking context and related strategic documents.
• Focusing on impact and added value of collaboration: offering concrete solutions to identified problems, saving time and resources, and increasing institutional efficiency and credibility.

5) Building sustainable infrastructure for collaboration beyond projects

• Developing processes, tools, and platforms that facilitate long-term communication between academia and public administration.
• Establishing networks of contacts (expert databases, thematic partnerships) and supporting various formats of collaboration, as further described in the ENGAGEgreen Policy Engagement Toolkit.

6) Strategic orientation of research activities: supporting socially relevant research topics based on an analysis of current public administration needs

• Public authorities can ensure the practical use of research outputs in the day-to-day functioning of institutions, allowing project results to respond to real needs of citizens and communities.
• Research results can be further utilised within public administration through follow-up policies and strategies, staff training and education, and the implementation of new digital tools or methodologies.

Challenges

One of the main challenges in implementing training focused on collaboration with policymakers is the low awareness of the relevance of this topic among research managers and administrators (RMAs). The topic is often perceived as marginal or as falling outside their regular project responsibilities.

It is therefore more effective to integrate the seminar into existing educational activities (workshops or conferences) for RMAs, rather than offering it as a standalone event, and to promote it through professional networks and internal institutional communication. When framed in this way, the training is perceived as a natural part of professional development rather than an additional or optional topic. At the same time, it is important to systematically raise awareness of the topic among researchers so that demand for this type of project support also emerges from the academic community itself.

Ensuring follow-up after the seminar is equally important. Awareness of relevant calls, project initiatives, and examples of good practice should be reinforced through institutional communication over the long term, enabling participants to practically apply the knowledge gained. This approach increases the likelihood that the seminar will not only enhance individual competencies but also lead to tangible changes in institutional processes and project practices.

Tasks and resources

The speaker should be well-informed about current funding opportunities and the existing structures that support various forms of collaboration with policymakers at the institution. Seminar participants do not need prior theoretical knowledge; however, it is recommended that they map the situation within their department or faculty in advance—for example, identifying who is engaged in collaboration with public authorities, which researchers are already working with institutions, and what forms of collaboration exist. This mapping enables participants to actively contribute to discussions and share concrete practical examples. Resources that can be used for preparation include internal databases and contacts within departments or faculties.

Example

RMA Power Week (19 -23 May 2025)

The RMA Power Week was a five-day professional workshop primarily aimed at research project managers, but also open to other administrative and technical staff involved in research support. It was organized by the Grant Office at the Faculty of Arts, Palacký University Olomouc. The workshop focused on key areas of research management, including the preparation of project proposals, science communication, effective financial planning and monitoring, research data management, and the use of artificial intelligence in project management. The workshop was supported by two ongoing Horizon Europe projects (Twinning calls), which aim, among other objectives, to enhance the competencies and capacities for project support at the participating institutions.

On the second day of the workshop, which focused on science communication in projects, a 60-minute session titled ‘Public Administration as a Project Partner’ was devoted to collaboration with policymakers. The presentation was divided into a theoretical and a practical part: the theoretical part covered all the key areas of the Information seminar described above, while the practical part presented concrete examples of ongoing projects and initiatives at the university. The session concluded with a discussion in which participants shared their experiences and reflected on how the insights gained could be applied in practice.

Do you want to know more about the policy engagement toolkit?

Do you want to share your experience in policy engagement? Do you think about contributing to the policy engagement toolkit? Feel free to contact Tome Sandevski via science-policy@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de